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The built environment is always inhabited. A settlement is always built by people, occupied by people, and is designed for people. Its establishment, growth and further transformation are influenced greatly by people's behaviors and their lifestyles. There is a reciprocal relationship between people and the built environment. This paper is a case study of a small Chinese village named Xiaqiao (下桥, under bridge). This case study includes observations and analyses of the transformation of the village during the past 300 years, as well as its sustainability and adaptions as a result of villagers’ changing needs. The approach taken in this case study is a cross reference between rural social history and the built environment. The clan system is the major social structure, and collective living is the predominant life style. The layout of the village is composed of three levels: the single build complex, the inner space, and the structure. The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationship between architecture and local inhabitants in pre-modern rural China. A small village can be sustainable over the course of hundreds of years if the local inhabitants are repositioned in accordance with the changes in architectural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]